Spark in the Flame
by Rubicon 9 Of Hearts
Summary: Now in the human world, 6 meets a girl named Kristin, but the others show up. So do old enemys and Kristin finds that there is a secret locked inside her that could swing an entire war, and Kristin and the stitchpunks are on the edge of it. 6xOc and 9x7. On haitus until further notice.
1. Awake

**Just a little preveiw for this story. Since I'm working on another fanfic right now (almost done), I won't have the next chapter up for about a month, but I hope this gets you excited for that. Oh, and the first line is from a song called Happy to Give, by Journey, which will appear a few times throughout the story.**

**I do not own 9. I don't own Happy to Give ether.**

Prolouge: Awake

_"I was born a believer, played the fool."_

A voice resounded out of the emptiness, and a female one at that.

"Who...who is it?" His voice rasped, staining to hear the mysterious voice again. Darkness incased him, but he could tell he was laying on a wooden floor.

Wait a minute...he could speak, he could feel, he was...alive!

"H-how?" His pen nibbed hand went to his neck instantly, grasping the cold metal of the key that hung from his ink stained body. He sat up, trying to grasp a sense on where he was.

He remembered, the last living memory he had was one so cold and painful. A bridge, the Machine catching him in it's grip, bringing him down with it. The turned to face it, and then there was a green flash, then...falling...and then nothing.

Somehow, he didn't know whether he was still in his world or in the next, but he was alive.

A nervous smile crossed his face, overjoyed that he was alive once more. If he was alive, then, the others, he figured, they must be around too. The voice he had heard earlier, well, he'd have to figure that out later, but he just was so happy. He was...

Then it came, his hands started twitching, and his eyes grew wide with fear.

"N-no...no! Not this soon!" His eyes darted around, looking for paper, but it was too dark to see. Drawing was the only way to relieve part of that pain, if he couldn't find any paper...then it would be a lot worse.

There was no paper in this dark room though.

He tried to scream, but it was trapped in his throat as he fell back down to the floor. Painful spasms ran through his body, and he struggled to breathe against the overwhelming might of the vision that was taking hold of him, images exploding into his head.

. . .

_(~Vision~)_

Water; there was water.

It was soaking him, blasting his internal workings with the cold liquid. It invaded his artificial lungs, filling them as he helplessly was tossed and thrown about in the storm. He tried to cough the water back up, but it kept coming. Everything was misfiring, he could feel his body being thrown against metal walls.

How much more could he take before he was tossed unconscious...or worse...?

Then, it stopped.

Something covered his eyes, and there was the sound of something opening. His body ached as he lay there, his breathing rasped due to the water.

Suddenly, there was light. It was small, but it grew. It grew more and more bright, then it blinded him.

He felt like someone was lifting him from that darkness. Something else held him, something soft. His sight was blurred, but there was a face looking down at him.

And what stared back at him were hazel eyes that were the equivalent of gold.

_(~End vision~)_

**That's it for now, but I'll try and get the next chapters up as soon as possible. Until then, feel free to leave reveiw.**


	2. Human and Stitchpunk Part 1

**Sorry this is late. A bunch of things came up and I was so busy, that I was barely able to find time to work on this. Plus, I've got three stories I'm working on; this one, another called D.C. Alice (Lorien Legacies fanfic), and I'm trying to write Crying in the Rain (Pandora Hearts fanfic). I've also got a book that I've started writing too, which I am so happy about. Also, thanks a lot to InvaderComa for being the first to reveiw. Really appreciate it!**

**I do not own the movie 9.**

Chapter 1: Human and Stitchpunk- Part 1

_'I don't need to listen. If only...'_

Sitting against the window, looking out onto the setting sun, I glance around my room. Here, I am surrounded by multitudes of books, art, and music; my three favorite things.

I'll make a long story short; my name is Kristin Tayoma. Age 16, current residence, a town where nothing happens, where nothing changes. I have long black hair that shadows my bright hazel eyes, yet contrasting them at the same time.

Many things interest me, mostly, that of the unknown. I like to wonder about the things I don't know, whether something is lying just beyond my reach, waiting to grasp it, but I just have to keep on reaching out until I can take hold of it.

I'm not really sure of some things, but I'm sure of something; that I can be just as myself, I have no need to listen to their expectations. Now as a junior in high school, I have to start looking at colleges, but my parents won't accept the fact that I have my sights set on an art school down in Portland. Just because my parents are scientists, it doesn't mean I need to find a job like that.

Speaking of which, I'm free to work again. They won't be home till late tonight (well, my father left for work a few minutes ago and my mother was still at work), so I can work on my project. It's not for school or anything, you could say that it's more personal.

See, I love this movie, called 9. Two years ago, I had seen it, and it was nothing like I had seen before. It was such a work of brilliance, that, at first, I wanted nothing to do with it, but, I was being drawn to it. Yes, I hated, yet liked it. In the end, I was unable to refuse, having grown fond of it and wanting to see with my own eyes. I did manage, with the help of one of my friends, and I was mesmerized. Call me a sap if you will, but I cried at the end, not out of sadness, but of brilliance. After I had obtained it on DVD, I would sometimes watch it when I felt at war with the world, and at times it seemed better than this unjust world.

It would not leave my thoughts for a month, and so, after six months passed, I started to put my art skills to work. I sketched each of them carefully, and, after working so hard, I was finally able to get it done. They're pretty damn close if you ask me.

I have a new project though, so, call me crazy if you will, but I'm making my own stitchpunk. Don't misunderstand me, but I am also deeply interested in robotics, and I simply saw this as an opportunity to perfect that.

Sighing, I stood up and went over to my closet. Getting a box out of there, I went over to set it on my desk and opened it up. Inside was my barely built stitchpunk, whose name I haven't decided upon. Most of the contents inside the box were sketches and notes, so I took out a folded piece of paper and opened it up on the desk. The sketch was the basic outlining of my project, that still needed detail, but was close to completion. Once the sketch was done, I could really start from the point where I had left off, which was just building a little bit of the mechanics.

As I continued the sketch with my sharpened pencil, I made a song play through my mind, one I had heard once from one of my friends, Is It Love That Dare Not Be?, by Black Tape For A Blue Girl. While I listened to it, I couldn't help but think back to a drawing I had done during study hall at school.

_(Flashback)_

_"What to do, what to do." I mumbled to myself. I tapped my pencil against the paper, wanting a sudden inspiration to come to me. _

_I wanted to draw something, but I couldn't think of anything. I needed something to do, or else I'm gonna fall asleep right here._

_Suddenly, I heard a ringing in my ears, and then everything went dark. _

_I was confused, but out of the darkness, I saw something glowing. As it took shape, I saw three symbols. They circled back into a design, carved on metal. I still didn't get it, but then, I realized it._

_The Talisman!_

_My sight returned to me and I found myself staring at my paper, still blank and pencil in hand._

_**'Geez, I guess my daydreaming brought back those thoughts, huh?'**__ I smiled lightly at recalling the image, how intricate the design was._

_That daydream had just found my inspiration, and now, I lowered my pencil to the paper, replicating the design of those symbols._

_(End flashback)_

I know it had just been a daydream, I mean, what else could it possibly have been? There's no other reason. Then again, I'm not really like other people. For instance, I'm really good in track, specifically races up to 400 meters, and long jump (I can jump 15 feet!). Maybe it's because I have an unnatural talent for that stuff, or I'm just gifted with that superb skill.

I looked down at my sketch once more, smiling as I drew in all the details, filling the gaps. I love to draw, it's like a passion. I also am very eager to always improve my craft, as is the job of a person such as me; to improve those things which are your desires. Of course, this is my own made up motto for art, but I find it useful.

I was nearly done sketching the arm, when I heard something, then a small yelp. My eyes widened and I rose from my chair, turning around. I saw nothing here besides me, but when my eyes caught sight of something on the ground, I couldn't hold back the gasp that escaped my mouth.

What was sitting among a pile of fallen CDs, rubbing their head, was a one-eyed rag doll. No...this wasn't that; this was 5...a stitchpunk!

"What. The. Hell?" I breathed, my mind trying to tell me I had fallen asleep and that this was an illusion. The next instant, 5 caught sight of me and scurried backwards, away from me.

"D-Don't hurt me!" He cried. That voice...it was exactly the same!

"Wait! I won't hurt you, I promise." I spoke carefully to him.

"But...how can I-"

"5." He froze and stared at me the second I had called his name. "I won't dare hurt you. I'm not your enemy."

He blinked, then nodded slowly. "Okay, I guess."

Feeling a little nervous now, I slowly walked over to 5, all the while he watched the movement of my feet. Finally, I knelt down in front of him and he looked up at me, then reaching for a stand of my long black hair that dangled down in front of me.

"Gosh, you knocked these over, didn't you." He didn't answer me, but I grinned. "It's alright. No big deal really. So, um...are you alone here? How did you get here anyway?"

"I'm not sure." He didn't look me in the eye, as if he was scared of me. That was to be expected, he is the timid one after all. "I just remember, a flash of green, then...pain; like fire almost. The next thing I know, I woke up outside this place."

"So, you wandered inside and then found me." I finished for him.

"Yes." He looked around, then back to me. "Are you, well, human?"

I chuckled. "Yes, I am human. Look at my hands even. Do they look like they're made of metal?"

"No, I suppose not." He looked lost in thought for a second, then sprang up. "Maybe, the others are here too!"

"Ah, you're right!" I quickly clamped my hand over my mouth, realizing that was much more than I had intended to say.

"Wait, you know, about us? You even knew my name."

I lowered my hand and looked down at him. "Um...yes, I know, and...I can explain later. But, if what you are saying is true, then we have to find them." I held out my hand to him, and he looked at it with confusion. "I'll help you find them, we haven't a moment to lose!"

* * *

><p>5 gripped my shoulder as I looked around the living room for any signs of the others. I wondered if by others, he meant...the others who had died. It had to be, it couldn't possibly be all of them, although, that would be nice. I'd have someone to talk to at least. Gah, stop it! But, first off, how had they ended up here? What were the circumstances behind that? If 5 was right here on my shoulder, then...everything I had seen two years ago...it was...real?<p>

How is that even possible?

"You live here?" 5 asked after a long silence.

"Yeah, it's not much though." I replied, now walking into the kitchen. "We might have a fancy house, but it's not really anything special. You get used to it after awhile."

"Yes, well, any sight of them?" He had changed the subject, and I think I knew why.

"You want to find 2, don't you?"

I felt his grip on my shoulder tighten. "I...I do, um...what's your name?"

"Kristin." I answered.

"Oh. Well, I do want to find him, Kristin."

"I understand."

Now I had walked into the laundry room, glancing around at the washer and dryer. My father had to run in town for some conference not too long ago, and he had set the clothes to wash before he left, so I'm not surprised it's still running.

"There's nothing here ether, Kristin." 5 said.

I nodded. "Yeah, maybe we're not looking hard enough. Maybe-"

Just then I heard a metal clang, and it had come from the washer. I raised an eyebrow in surprise and walked over to it.

"What is it?"

"I don't know." I then told 5 to get off my shoulder so he wouldn't fall off when I tried to get a better look. He complied and I put him beside me. I peered inside the washer as clothes rolled about in there, and among them, I faintly saw something familiar; something striped and-

"Oh my God!" Panic rising within me, I quickly scrambled to turn of the washer and opened the lid once things had calmed down. My eyes darted around the pile of clothes until I saw a small hand made of pen nibs sticking out from the heap. Concern rising within me, I pushed the clothes away, and saw that same striped figure laying on the clothes; 6.

Carefully, I took him out of the washer and cradled him in my hands. "6?"

He coughed, water sputtering from his mouth, and his mismatched eyes opened and wearily looked up at me. "A-are you a *hic* angel...?"

I couldn't help but blush. "Are you hitting on me?" His head titled off to the side against my hand, his eyes closing once more. "Ah! Hey, 6, stay awake."

He managed to open his eyes again, hiccupping as he looked at me. "You...are...?"

"Not an angel." I finished for him. "My name is Kristin Tayoma."

"Kristin." He whispered. "You're a *hic* human..."

With that, he passed out in my hands. I kept thinking about what he said though, calling me an angel. Now that I think about it, I felt guilty about snapping at him, just because I thought he was hitting on me. He was just confused, and I had just removed him from a storm of water and fabric in there, so of course he would be a bit delirious for a while (well, no more than usual when he draws and rambles on about stuff).

As I watched the slow rise and fall of his chest, hiccupping once in a while, I was relieved that I had found him, but I was feeling something else as well.

_'No one's ever said that to me before.'_

"Is he alright?" 5 asked from beside me.

"Yeah, should be." I replied. I balanced 6 on one hand as I let 5 get back on my hand and put him back on my shoulder. "We'll just have to let him rest for a while, and I'll have to open him up later, just to make sure nothing inside is damaged."

"Right." He then looked at me. "You know how to work with mechanics?"

"Just a little. I may need your help if I need to do any repairs." I rose from the floor, still carefully holding 6 in my hands, and started making my way back to my room. "How in the world did he get stuck in there anyway?"

"Honestly, I don't know, but you're sure he'll be fine?"

"Yup. If he got stuck in there when my dad was putting clothes in the washer, 6 would have only been in there for a few minutes. So, he'll be fine in a few hours."

Once back in my room, I set 6 down on my bed and found a small old blanket. I then took him over to an old doll bed I had (don't ask. I can't find a place to store it.), and laid the blanket over him. I then found myself glancing at that same old key that hung from his neck, and that was another mystery about him, now was not really the time to be wandering about him though. I still had more stitchpunks to find.

"Give him a while to rest. Any water that's still in him will eventually drain out, but you should stay here and keep an eye on him. You are the healer after all."

I let 5 get off my shoulder and he looked up at me as he knelt next to 6. "What about you?"

I grinned at him. "I'm gonna find the others, believe me!"

With that, I left my room to continue my search. And, also, my new thought of the day...be careful what you wish for.

I think my life is about to take a whole new twist.

**Yup, thank goodness she rescued him. I'll have the next chapter up as soon as possible, and I'll start working on it tommorow. Until then, feel free to leave a review.**


	3. Human and Stitchpunk Part 2

**Hey. I'm so sorry this is really late, but finally done with this chapter. I 'm having major writers block with this story, so, forgive me. Plus, it's 10:00 here and I need to go to bed. Also, There will be a summary change to this story, just a heads up.**

**Thanks to the InvaderComa and Poppy ELC.6-13 for reveiwing. Thank you so much~!**

**I do not own 9 in any way.**

Chapter 2: Human and Stitchpunk- Part 2

"Okay, think, Kristin." I muttered, now standing in the center of the living room. "Think this through logically."

I had no idea how I was gonna find the other stitchpunks, but at least I had found 5 and 6. That had seemed to be the easy part, but as to trying to find 2, 8, and 1, that would be a bit more difficult.

I guess I could start in the workshop, 2 is the inventor of the group after all, so it would only make sense that he would be there.

. . .

Grabbing the key to the workshop from the key shelf by the front door, I made my way over to the locked door. The only reason I keep it locked is because...well, I don't know why. I don't even use it that much, it is part of the garage after all.

I unlocked the door, and opened the door. Turning on the light, I found that there was nothing here except for the usual tools that you'd expect to find.

"Damn," I muttered. "I thought for sure that he'd be here."

Maybe logical thinking wasn't entirely the best solution for something like this. I rubbed my head and took one more look around. There wasn't any evidence that any of them had been here. I was now about to leave, when...

"Isn't there anything I can use as a new blade?"

The voice was faint, but I heard it, and on top of that, it was a _female_ voice. This could only mean that there was a stitchpunk in here...and it was 7.

_'I know that voice, it's 7. But, she's...not supposed to be here, only the ones who had died.'_ That's what I had previously thought, but now, that has changed, my assumption proven wrong. _'What's going on here?'_

I shook my head, realizing my time was short. My father would be home late, but I didn't know when my mother would return, meaning it could be at any moment. In short, I'm pressed on time and I have to find the rest, and, since 7 is here, that also means I've got three extra stitchpunks to find.

Now, the first problem in this current situation is to locate 7, even though I know she's somewhere inside the room. 7 is a fierce warrior and could very well take me as an enemy, just by her instincts. The only way to counter her stealthy attacks is to find her before she finds me.

"Right." I muttered, glancing around all corners of the workshop. "Now, how to-"

My eyes widened and I turned around just in time to avoid a tiny bolt from hitting me, instead hitting the wall beside me. Normally, people wouldn't be able to avoid such a thing, not unless they had known that would happen, and I'm pretty sure that I hadn't been expecting that.

_'How did I...?'_

"Don't move." A voice hissed. I located that voice and I'm not surprised to find 7 standing on a wooden table, her spear pointed at me. Wait, the blade is missing.

"Sev-"

"I said, don't move." Apparently she wasn't afraid of me. "I may not have a blade for this, but I'm not afraid to fight you."

"Do I look like a machine to you?" I questioned. If I couldn't use surprise, I'll have to utilize something else, mainly common sense.

"No, but..." She lowered her spear for a second, pondering my question, but then raised it back up to me. "I'm not taking any chances!"

"If I was a machine, would I approach you freely without fear?" That last part held a tinge of a lie, but I wasn't hesitating to now move my feet, walking towards 7.

"Hey, stay awa-"

"You have nothing to fear." At that moment, I held my hand out in offering. "Why would I hurt people who aren't my enemies?"

I have no idea why I did that, because she could of stabbed me with her spear right then and there, but for some reason, I felt like I could trust her not to hurt me.

"I..."

"It's okay, 7."

Her eyes widened slightly, and she lowered her spear, not raising it against me again. "I can really trust in your words?"

"Yes, now, come with me, I've already located 5 and 6. They're safe in my room."

* * *

><p>"Kristin, you've returned." 5 greeted me when I got the doorway of my room with 7.<p>

"Yeah, and I found 7, but, um, why aren't you with 6?"

"Oh, well, I found 2, or I guess he found me. Anyway, he's watching 6 for me while I went to find you and tell you."

"Got it." I allowed 7 to get off my shoulder (well, she rather jumped), and she joined 5.

"What will you do now?" 7 asked.

"I still have more stichpunks to locate you know. So I guess I should go back to that. If you guys find any of the others, just explain everything to them."

. . .

Finding the others wasn't that hard at all.

I found the twins, 3 and 4, looking through some books downstairs. That was to be expected.

1 and 8 were a bit more harder to find. Well, actually, like 2 and 5, they found us. I can tell 1 doesn't trust me, which I would expect from a stitchpunk such as himself.

9 was the last one that I found, and it was quite a surprise as to where he was. I found him trying to build a new light staff in a corner of the living room. 9 was different, he was curious about me and didn't react in any fear. Maybe that reason was because he trusted humans. Ironic considering that they played a part in destroying their world.

Now, all of them were together, and this still feels like it's not real, that it's all a dream. It's not though, I know that.

I still wonder though, what are the circumstances behind the reason of why they were brought here.

* * *

><p>Warm. There was something warm and soft wrapped around my body. I moved my hand, It was there too. I opened my eyes slowly, only to find that I was laying on my back, and there was something white covering me. A small rag perhaps?<p>

_'What happened?'_ I thought searching my clustered, unorganized memories. _'All I remember is water, and wet fabric being tossed about wildly. It was all very cold, and then...a face?'_

Yes, I can recall that; water filling my artificial lungs, multiple fabrics bombarding me. Then, it had all stopped, and through the darkness a light emerged, and I found myself being held by someone with a flawless face and black hair as dark as the ink that stained my body.

I sat up, my head dizzy, and I felt a strange ache inside me, making me shudder. Had the water damaged my internal workings? The warm cloth fell from me, and I quickly grabbed it, pulling it back over me as the cold air struck my frame.

"Where- *hic*" I clamped a hand over my mouth, wondering what that noise was. Was it me? Sure enough, when I lowered my hand, another shudder ran through me and that noise escaped my mouth again. That was me.

"Ah, you're awake." A voice then said, soft and gentle. "Although, I think you still might be waterlogged a bit."

I turned my head around to face that voice, and I was greeted by another face; a human face.

She had bright hazel eyes and her skin looked flawless, a long black mane of hair contrasting her features. Her figure was slim, like an hourglass, and her arms looked thin, but I could sense that they held strength underneath the surface.

A familiar face, familiar hair, familiar eyes; just where have I-

Wait, now it's coming back to me. She had rescued me. She was the one whose face I had seen after being pulled from that swirling chaos, she was the one who cradled me in her slender hands.

Her name came to me, and my voice whispered her name. "K-Kristin *hic* Tayoma."

"Yup. Just call me Kristin."

"Kris...tin." I said, carefully pronouncing her name. Her name sounded so gentle and sweet like honey.

"That's right."

I glanced at her eyes once more, oh that beautiful hazel. I was getting lost in those deep golden pools. They were like alluring gems, beckoning to me. Without even thinking, I unconsciously reached a hand out, but another shudder went through my body as I uttered that noise again, and, with that, I fell forward, my head hitting the wood.

"You alright?" She asks anxiously.

I don't answer her, instead struggling to get up. I'm still feeling a little weak and I'm just barely managing to keep myself up with my arms. It doesn't help much that my key is weighing me down, it's extra weight hanging from my neck.

After a moment, my arms gave out on me and I collapsed onto the wood again. "Ow..."

"Oh 6." I heard Kristin say softly. Next thing I knew, she was using one hand to sit me up, and I felt weightless against it. Her hand was bigger than me of course, but there was something about her touch that made something inside me feel light.

I looked at her face again, and it's hard to imagine, this girl saved me, yet, why is she being so kind to me?

"6, you're awake!"

Whoever's voice that was, I was suddenly taken by my shoulders and spun around, only to face 5 and...9?

"5, you're here, but, 9? How did-"

"I have no idea." The savior replied to me. "Something was going on with the talisman, so me, 7, and the twins were trying to figure out what was going on with it. It suddenly opened up, and there was a flash. Next thing I know, I find myself in this place."

"The Talisman?" Kristin suddenly asks.

He turns to her. "Yeah, you know of it?"

"A little, yes, but I have no idea why it brought you to my world."

"The source." I said, but my words had become slurred and things seemed blurry. "Maybe it..."

I felt myself falling forward again, but then something braced me, preventing me from falling. At this point, I was just barely awake, constantly dipping in and out of consciousness.

"6, are you okay?" 9 asked me, his grip on my shoulders tightening.

"He must be tired." Kristin explained. "When I found him, he was stuck in the washer. Oh, that reminds me."

"What?" I muttered wearily.

"I hope you don't mind, but I need to open you up so I can make sure the water didn't damage anything inside you."

I cringed and pulled myself away from 9 when I heard her say this, my hands twitching in response. "What? But, I-"

"6, let her, please." That voice had been 5 this time. Of course he had to say such a thing. "She says that she's good with mechanics, trust her."

It took a moment for me to think this over, I mean, she had saved me after all. Her words did hold some sense to them. Something did hurt inside me though, so I guess it's worth letting her look at. After all, for all I know, It could be something serious.

"Okay. You can, just to make sure."

* * *

><p>"Incredible!" I exclaimed, looking at 6's metal structure, my eyes fascinated by the mechanics at work, and in such a small body at that. "It doesn't look like anything is damaged."<p>

6 looked up at me wearily, not used to this. Well, I'm not surprised, I mean, he was in the washer for a considerable amount of time before I rescued him, so he must still be in a bit of shock. Then there was the fact that I had to cut open his chest to make sure being thrashed about in the washer or the water didn't damage anything. All the while, 5 knelt beside him, holding the artist's hand for comfort. 9, meanwhile, had gone off to inform the others about 6. My own eyes were bedazzled just by looking at the mechanics inside of 6. They were very well organized and put together, unlike my stitchpunk that I was working on, which could use some work in comparison.

"Nothing's wrong?" 6 asked me, anxious to here my answer.

"Nope. Nothing. You're just exhausted is all." I reached over to grab a spool of thread and a needle. "If you'll just lie still for only a few more moments, I'll sew you up."

He nodded, closing his eyes as I thread the needle through his pinstriped fabric skin. I just hope he wouldn't go into a vision and flip out on me, especially when I'm sewing this thread through him. The only other stitchpunks with me now were 6, 5, and 9, who had just returned. The others were talking among themselves.

"How's 6?" 9 asked as I finished my work and cut off the thread.

"She says he'll be fine." 5 answered, letting go of the artist's hand.

6 opens his eyes again and I offer my hand so he can sit up. He reaches out to clasp one of my fingers and slowly pulls himself up into a sitting position. He rubs his head and then says quietly to me, "Thank you."

"No problem." I reply. I then turn my attention to the other two stitchpunks. "So, you really have no idea how you got here?"

"No, not at all." 9 answered. "I can only guess it had something to do with the Talisman."

"That would be my first guess too."

"But, why your world?" 5 questioned. "I mean, it's defiantly different than ours, so full of life, by why?"

"He's right." 9 added.

"Hmm. I can only help but wonder...if it has something to do with today's date." I wonder, thinking back to those numbers.

"What would that be?"

"Today's date is 9-9-11." I reply. "Two years ago, however, all the numbers were the same."

"The numbers were the same?"

"Yes, they read 9-9-09; they read your name, seeing as all your names are numbers in both our worlds."

"Okay, this is progress." 5 smiled at me, and I found it quite friendly. "Maybe the dates have a connection, or something like-"

He was cut off when we heard a sound that startled me slightly, like someone taking in a sharp breath of air. Looking back to the only other stitchpunk with me, I saw that 6 was trembling violently, arms wrapped around himself and his mismatched eyes wide. He was breathing so fast that I was afraid the poor thing might hyperventilate.

5 immediately went over to him, kneeling next to him while me and 9 exchanged glances. I knew what was going on now, I could tell by the artist's behavior; he was going into a vision.

"Kristin, get some paper." 9 said to me.

"Right." Luckily, the desk that they were on had paper in a drawer, so, I grabbed a piece from there and set it down in front of 6. I also took an inkwell from another drawer and placed it next to the paper after opening it, just in case.

6 saw the items and placed his hands on the paper, letting out a shallow gasp as he started to wildly draw.

I was pretty amazed myself, watching his hands move swiftly across the blank surface, creating the images that only he could see. He moved with such speed that it was hard to keep up with at one point, once dipping his hands in the open inkwell and sending droplets across the paper.

In truth, I considered seeing into the future to be a gift, but with 6, I guess it was different, and much more painful at that.

"Ghosts...w-watch you...hidden..." 6 would mutter the strangest things, which I could only guess as the things he is seeing in his vision. "N-no! Sh-she will...a strange...p-p-power...and...a-and..."

His hands suddenly froze and pulled away from the paper, still dripping slightly with ink. His eyes went into a blank stare, and, without warning fell backwards. Fortunately 5 caught him, keeping the artist semi-conscious.

He blinked and then looked down at the drawing, then looking up at me. I also looked down at the drawing, and my own eyes widened in confusion.

"This is..." In the drawing, I saw myself, holding a sword and looking rather filled with a vengeance. I saw something at my feet, a machine, destroyed. My hair was being blown back, and I, not yet grasping its meaning, was utterly confused.

"This is me." I whispered, looking at 6, who seemed like he was about to pass out.

"Yes, it...is you." He said back to me in a tired voice.

"But, 6, what would Kristin have to do with this drawing?" 9 interjected.

6 looked up at the savior. "She...has will...and she alone is..."

His head titled to one side and he seemed to fall asleep. 5 tried to keep him awake, but the other was just barely keeping his eyes open.

"6, come on, finish what you were saying, we'll listen." He insisted to 6.

The artist nodded. "Fate...? No, not out of danger. Stand together."

"Good enough, 6." 9 proclaimed, looking at the drawing also. I was still left to wonder why I was in it though. Why am I wielding a sword? Why was there a dead machine at my feet? How are the stitchpunks involved? What exactly is going on here?

"You should rest now." 6 looked at 5 as he said this, but shook his head and looked at me again.

"Anymore paper?" He asked. "I feel like drawing."

**Hmm. Perhaps there's some hidden meaning to 6's vision... So, yeah. Not the best chapter I've written, but oh well. I will try my hardest to get the next chapter up, so until then, feel free to leave a reveiw.**


	4. Secrets Lie Inside

**Hey! It's been a while hasn't it? I'm sorry. I've been busy. Whenever I try to finish one/ write a new chapter, I end up starting two more. I already have a Higurashi one in mind, and the I've started a new story called Flower Hearts. Urgh...**

**Oh, and the song at the end is called Breathturn, by Hammock. That I do not own, it belongs to Hammock.**

**Thank you to DedeTC for the new reveiw~**

**I do not own any of this.**

Chapter 3: Secrets Lie Inside

"Hah...hah...hah..." I kept breathing like this, my hands marking the paper with black ink, distorting its white purity. There's no way I can stop myself. Once I get into this kind of state, no mater how drained of energy I get, I still continue to draw. There's no way to easily pull me out of it ether, you just can't.

I have to show them. This is the only way to make them see, to make them listen. I have to show them the things that are images projected in my head and seen through my eyes.

I know they're watching me, Kristin too most likely. Speaking of which, what I had seen before, it involved her, but in the most mysterious way. During that time, I could see her fighting, glaring up at a huge machine before cutting it down. Once the dust faded, there she stood, a red liquid that could be described as human blood seeping out of her open wounds. The black haired girl that had saved me stood with a dead machine at her feet, and the wind blew her hair back in such a fashion that it felt mysterious to me.

I don't know if she grasps such a thing though, much less think that I'm anything but what I always have been. She probably thinks I'm insane, just like everyone else.

Kristin knows what I am, she's _seen_ it.

"6," Her voice breaks through the barrier and into my world. "Maybe you should take a break."

I shake my head. "No. Have to continue, have to draw."

My voice gets like this too, more disjointed. However, I did notice that my sentences had been more connected, and I talked a lot more, maybe because I was here. Back in my world, I would speak as I do now, but here it is different, speech no longer a problem.

"Well, I know about this. I've seen you draw and speak of the 'source' two years ago. I can't help you in ways I could if you were human. Just don't push yourself."

"I'm fine. Don't worry, I'm fine."

Sigh. She doesn't need to be concerned, I'm very much accustomed to it. Such a thing has happened so many times before that my body has become used to it, yet still tearing away at me.

Right now, Kristin is probably looking for answers, wanting to know why we're here in her world. I don't understand the circumstances behind that ether, but there has to be some reason. In my world, I had died, simple as that. Being here was no rebirth, it was a totally different world, here world, yet they were somehow intertwined. 9 had said the talisman had been behaving rather strangely, and then it had sent him and those alive here. Though I can't understand why me and those dead are here, we are all together, and it's clear the Talisman is involved in this incident.

Which leaves me back to doing the usual things I did before my death; I keep drawing the talisman over and over again.

There are two things here that are crucial, the Talisman and today's date.

"Are you drawing the Talisman again?" 9 asked me, putting a hand on my shoulder as he peered down at the drawings I had done in such a short amount of time.

"Y-yes. Important to know."

"Okay, get one thing straight!" Hmm? Who's Kristin arguing with? I can't tell because I am more concentrated on drawing. "I am not a machine! Do my hands look mechanical to you?"

"Just because you've provided a shelter doesn't mean you've earned my trust." Ah, that must be 1. Figures I suppose. Knowing 1, it is plainly clear that he wouldn't trust this girl right away. It was the same back in my world when 9 first arrived.

"Well, I know for a fact you don't trust me, 1." Her voice paused, maybe switching over to talk to someone else. "Okay, my parents will be home soon, so, 9, I need you to tell me what happened."

"What happened?"

"Yes, what was going on with the Talisman before you found yourself here."

Kristin wants to know. Of course she wants to know, her human curiosity drives her. 9 also has that curiosity. It's an understandable fact because our souls have human spirit in them, and Kristin also carries the same soul.

_'Sigh. I can only sit here and listen as I draw'_ I say to myself, starting a new drawing on fresh paper.

And meanwhile, the conversation continues...

"Well, I think it was two days after our war ended." 9 started.

Two days in my world, but two years here. Was that just a coincidence?

"Two days, you say?" Kristin asks.

"Yeah. It had stopped raining for a short time, but after a light drizzle had started, the symbols on the Talisman started glowing."

"Then what?"

"Well, like I said, me, 7, and the twins were thinking of some explanation, but then the Talisman suddenly burst open and we were all blinded by a flash of light. Next thing I knew, I woke up inside your home."

I heard Kristin sigh softly in the background. "That's good information, but that's not getting us any closer to the answer." She pauses once. "I mean, there is a slight explanation as to how you four got here, but...you guys...I don't really get it."

She obviously means those who died, like myself.

"9 told me that you said the day you learned about us was two years ago, correct, Miss Kristin?" Now it is 2 who is speaking.

"Right, two years ago exactly."

"Well, by that time, as you are probably aware, most of us had died and been freed from the Talisman, myself included."

"Of course, but I still don't get it." Oh, I see now. She'll figure it out soon enough. "What would that have to do with anything?"

"As 9 stated, this occurrence happened two days after our war ended. Maybe, when him, 7, and the twins were transported here, our souls, probably with some lingering attachment to the now healing earth, were magnetized to that and took us as well."

Okay, that works too. So then I end up whispering, "Source."

"Fitting, considering the Talisman is involved." Kristin says, her voice closer to me. I stop for a moment and realize she's looking down at me to see what I'm drawing. I don't turn to look at her, still entranced by the drawing, but I can't help but to feel a warm sensation creeping into my face.

_'Is this what the humans called a 'blush'?'_

"That's really beautiful, you know." Now she was speaking to me. I was surprised, but you couldn't really tell because I still drew, no matter the reason.

No one has ever said that to me though.

"Th-thank you..."

"Sure thing. I can't even draw as good as you."

"No...I'm sure you can."

"Oh, well...thanks." Her voice had faltered for a second. I wonder, was she stunned to hear that?

I'm still drawing, and I'm still feeling tired. I have to continue though, the only thing that might be able to stop me was if all my reaming strength gave out and I collapsed. Exhaustion will probably get the better of me before I know it.

"Ah!" I heard Kristin rise from her spot and rush off to somewhere, her footsteps echoing on the floor. "My Mother is home!"

"Hide." That was the first word out of my mouth.

"Exactly, 6! There's a doll house in my closet. You all can stay there until I say otherwise."

I heard the sound of everyone scurrying off, but I remained where I was. I knew I had to hide, but I couldn't move.

_'Come on, snap out of it.' _I'm still drawing, following the single command.

"6," Her footsteps come closer. "come on, go with the others."

"I know." I answer plainly.

"Stop drawing and go with them."

"I know."

I felt her grab one of my arms, trying to pull me away. She shouldn't do that, but, if it will help... "6, stop! There's no time!"

_"I KNOW!"_

I ended up saying that much louder than I intended to and I turned around furiously to face her. My eyes were wide with a slight anger and my breathing was ragged. Kristin looked back at me with a slightly astonished expression.

Then, after a moment, I feel all of that little strength fade away faster than a lightning bolt. I'm not drawing anymore. For now, it's over.

I wince and put a hand to my head, now feeling a throbbing ache there.

She sighs with a slight, unreadable air. "Just go with the others for now. I'll be back soon. Oh, and take that inkwell and some paper with if you want." Kristin started to walk away, but then turned back and smiled, putting a single finger to her lips. "I get it now."

* * *

><p><em>(Flashback)<em>

_"I don't get it." I wondered in confusion. "What in the world is going on?"_

_"9, I'm not sure." 7 said to me. I take it 3 and 4 don't have a clue ether, because when I looked at them, they just shrugged._

_I sighed and looked again at the Talisman. All three of these symbols were glowing and I was clueless as to why._

_"What could it mean?" I reached my hand out and lightly touched it, but all of a sudden there was a loud ringing noise. _

_I had no choice but to clamp my hands over my hearing sensors. I was utterly confused at this point, but when I was able to catch a glance of the Talisman, I was terrified._

_It had opened up and was crackling green blots of like embers._

_**'No!'**_

_All at once, the bolts struck me, but I think they got the others too._

_Just before I blacked out though, I thought I saw a girl's face._

_(End flashback)_

I rubbed my head in frustration, still thinking back on the moment. It was so strange. What had happened then led up to all of this.

Now I'm in a totally different world, one teeming with life.

Kristin is pure evidence of that.

"What's up, 9?"

I looked up and smiled at seeing 7 by my side. "Hey, I'm just thinking."

"About what?" She asks, sitting down beside me.

"About this. Why are we here exactly? And, I mean, what does any of this really mean?"

"I'm sure there's an explanation, we just have to look harder."

"Yeah." I shifted my vision so that I was staring off into nowhere. "There's something about her."

7 looked at me with confusion. "Kristin?" I nodded before she continued. "I think you're right. There's something about her that seems...abnormal."

"Well you saw what 6 drew, right? Something is going to happen soon, I can feel it."

"I guess. But only time can really tell."

* * *

><p>"K-Kristin?"<p>

Her closed eyes reflected her peaceful face, her soft breathing clear. I didn't really want to bother her, but...

"Kristin? Y-you awake?" Nervous, I poked her cheek. She stirred upon my touch and I drew my hand back. Another wave of cold air hit me and I shivered in response.

Her eyes opened slightly, and, oh her eyes...they still shine in the dark.

"6?" She asked quietly.

"Um, can I-I-I...it's cold, and...l-let me sl-sleep here?" My voice continuously stuttered as I asked this, and, honestly, I couldn't possibly imagine what she thinks of this.

"I...guess so." She replies after a moment. "I don't mind."

Wrapping my arms around myself, I got closer to her, sitting down on the soft sheet and resting my head between her neck and shoulder.

_'So...warm...'_ Her soft skin felt warm against this frigid air.

"You okay, 6?" Kristin quietly asked. "You feeling alright?"

"Just cold. You are...warm."

I could feel her tense up, maybe it was something I had said. "W-well...thank you."

"Are _you_ alright?"

"Yeah, I'm good. It might just be that I'm still overwhelmed by all this."

"Us here, you mean?"

"Yup."

We both fell silent after that, nether one of us speaking. I felt her relax behind me, and I looked back up, only to see she had gone back to sleep. Of course she's overwhelmed, and I shouldn't pester her anymore.

"Would you like some music?" Oh, I guess she wasn't asleep yet.

"Music?" I was puzzled about the word for a second, but then it clicked, sitting up and looking at her with glee. "Music!"

I felt her move, and after a moment I had to shut my eyes against something bright. "Ow."

"Sorry." She said apologetically. "Okay, it's alright now."

The room was dark once more, but I could tell there was an object lying near us. Also, there was...sound coming from it?

"Sound."

The music, the sound, it was so pretty...

"Sound. Music."

I heard Kristin chuckle, and then she whispered one word.

"Breathturn."

_'What a beautiful word. A title?'_ No time to dwell on that, there's been enough wondering done for today.

Relaxing as well, I shut my eyes and let a cold sleep take me.

"Sleep well, K-Kristin."

**Okay, I had to do that. The next update might take a while, seeing as how I'm short on ideas and that I'm gonna rework this later. In the meantime, feel free to leave a reveiw.**


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